reb
Veteran Member
I think when visiting you tend to see the cons and not the pro's, I was the same visiting other countries, some parts of Asia have little or no taxes and look appealing until you realise the towns are run by crime bosses.
A bonus here is free medical although some elect for private insurance, we get pensions and unemployment benefits, the same for everyone although I am a self funded retiree, I have a gold card which gives me the best specialists free should I need one, this is for all war vets.
Real estate varies depending upon where you are, Sydney $1m will get you a broom closet in a cheap area, move out of the city and you get more, some towns you can buy a 3br house for $150k.
Cigarettes are about $30+ for 20, I don't smoke, chicken breast $6 kg, sausages $5-10 kg, eye fillet $35 kg, lobster $180 kg, average income is claimed to be about $80k but bear in mind that is an average.
Bottle scotch cheap $40, my favourite $220, bourbon about $45 for JD or JB.
Fuel, up and down like a brides nightie, m$1.30-80 litre unleaded 91, add 10-15c for 97, diesel about $1.50, lpg 70c.
Solar power your house, just under $5k for 6.6kw, infeed rate is 12c per kw, buy at 30+c per kw.
F truck over $100k, toyota corolla around $30k.
A lot of Drs bulk bill which means you pay nothing and they claim directly from medicare which is another income tax component, specialists rarely do, dentists you pay as they have a new BMW to buy for themselves and their mistress.
Netflix I pay $14 month for 2 TV's, internet wwith phone and no charge for calls $80 month, 50mbs download unlimited, mobile phone $15 month with my own phone.
Insurance, our cars are about $55 per month, home and contents $85 per month, tractor and public liability $20m is $45 month.
Credit cards are mostly getting up to 20%, I pay mine off every fortnight and collect the rewards points which gives me a $100 gift card every 2 months, never paid interest yet but it is where a lot come unstuck.
Mortgages I think are around 3%.
Bear in mind these are Victorian figures and will vary from state to state, of course you can move into a remote area and buy a few hundred acres of nothing for bugger all, no neighbours, lots off dust, great for introverts but a lot of travel for supplies.
Some of that sounds like life here. Some are higher than we pay, maybe more are less. The conversion rate (approx $1.46 of yours to $1 of ours) makes a difference.